UT-A&M rivalry renewed, but no contest

By Brent Zwerneman :
May 30, 2014
: Updated: May 30, 2014 11:54pm

Texas' C.J. Hinojosa, left, signals himself safe after scoring a run as Texas A&M catcher Troy Stein applies a late tag during the third inning of a Houston NCAA baseball regional game, Friday, May 30, 2014, at Reckling Park in Houston.

Photo By Eric Christian Smith / For the Houston Chronicle

Texas' C.J. Hinojosa makes the call himself after scoring ahead of Texas A&M catcher Troy Stein's tag in the third inning.

Photo By Eric Christian Smith/For the Chronicle

Texs A&M pitcher Daniel Mengden, center, talks with catcher Troy Stein, left, as Texas' Brooks Marlow, right, touches third base after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a Houston NCAA baseball regional game, Friday, May 30, 2014, at Reckling Park in Houston.

HOUSTON — Much like a record crowd at Reckling Park, Texas starter Nathan Thornhill had barely found his seat when UT leadoff hitter Brooks Marlow cranked a home run in the bottom of the first against an old archrival.

“That pretty much set the tone for the rest of the game,” an appreciative Thornhill said. “It makes it easier to go out there and pitch knowing your guys are behind you.”

Second-seeded Texas whipped third-seeded Texas A&M 8-1 in the opening game of the Houston Regional, in the former league foes' first contest in more than two years and their first in the postseason. The Longhorns leaped to a 7-1 lead through three innings, meaning the hype surrounding the NCAA tournament game was a load more exhilarating than the final six innings. At least for the Aggies.

And just about everything else — including three A&M errors in a sloppy showing — in the Longhorns' most lopsided victory over the Aggies in four years. A&M bolted the Big 12 two years ago for the Southeastern Conference, creating plenty of lingering ill will on both sides — and zero contests since in the “big three” sports of football, men's basketball and baseball.

The NCAA paired the programs in the tournament's opening round with the idea it would create a buzz in the state's largest city. It did, with 6,603 fans crammed into Reckling, but that buzz lasted all of about an hour, as both sides' fans grew bored with the Longhorns' big early lead they sustained throughout. UT, in setting its cruise control, scored the game's lone run over the last six innings.

“It feels good to beat A&M,” said Thornhill (7-2), who allowed one run over seven innings, helping preserve the Longhorns' bullpen for the rest of the regional. “But we played it just like it was another game.”

At 7 p.m. Saturday, the Longhorns (39-18) will take on the top-seeded Rice Owls (42-18), who rallied for a 7-2 victory over fourth-seeded George Mason in the nightcap.

“This is what you need,” UT coach Augie Garrido said of his players' systematic approach against A&M. “You're not going to win very many games based on emotions. Emotions in baseball are going to over-pump you, and distract you from your performances.”

Meanwhile, the apparently under-pumped Aggies (33-25) will play an elimination game against the Patriots (34-21) at 3 p.m. Saturday.

A&M's ace, Daniel Mengden (4-9), struggled through much of the season but had shown signs of getting his act together in time for the postseason. He was erratic early in Friday's electric setting, however, and the Longhorns took advantage.

“I was falling behind (in the count), and when you fall behind guys and have to throw fastballs, they know what's coming,” Mengden said.

UT, a six-time national champion making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2011, scored four in the third on the strength of a two-run double to left-center field by C.J. Hinojosa, chasing Mengden and essentially icing the game on a hot afternoon.

“It was an honor,” the sophomore Hinojosa said of playing A&M for the first time. “I thought we were never going to play them again.”

The two sides could meet again in the regional, but Childress brushed past any such notion after the seven-run setback that flustered A&M fans because of the oh-so-familiar foe.

“We've got bigger fish to fry,” Childress said, “before we get back to that point.”